‘It was a disaster’: Egypt women's football team reaches tipping point after Wafcon humiliation
Not long after the Egyptian national team returned from an impressive World Cup campaign to a massive reception and countrywide fanfare last month, Egypt’s Cleopatras flew to Morocco to participate in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), looking to keep the celebrations going. But while the men made history in North America by reaching the last 16 and narrowly losing to defending champions…
Egypt women's football team suffered a humiliating defeat in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) held in Morocco, with the team conceding 15 goals while scoring just three and being eliminated from the group stage. The team, which had not qualified for the competition, made its appearance thanks to being one of the four highest-ranked sides eliminated in the final round of qualifying.
Egypt, a football-mad nation with a talent pool of over 120 million people, rarely receives attention and support compared to the men's national team. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) had dedicated resources to set up training camps and friendly games for the women's national team ahead of the 2026 Wafcon, bringing back former manager Mohamed Kamal to take charge of the Cleopatras.
However, team captain Sarah Essam, who played professional football in England and Spain, criticized Kamal for favoritism, lack of professionalism, and creating a divide among players. Essam alleged that players were offered bribes for playing time, promised minutes they were unqualified for, and injured players were forced onto the squad list.
Essam's criticism has exposed the issues within the Egypt national team camp, leading to calls for a more professional and merit-based environment.
Written by urgent.news from The National Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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